


2 AM

by JQ (musicmillennia)



Series: Smol Dragon Barry 'verse [6]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Illnesses, Platonic Cuddling, Sibling Bonding, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-04-20
Packaged: 2018-06-03 10:06:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6606763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/JQ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An epidemic is spreading through the Twins. Handlers and riders alike aren't taking it too well.</p><p>Lisa, one of the first to recover, helps her brother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	2 AM

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BlueStar1937](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueStar1937/gifts).



> The dragon illness is partially inspired by Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik, only this illness is just a dragon equivalent of the flu instead of a life-threatening thing that needs a trip to Africa and shrooms to cure.
> 
> Which reminds me: if you like dragons, Napoleonic Wars, and social justice, read the Temeraire series.

Despite handling dragons all day, Lenny usually keeps late hours. But once the illness starts spreading, he's stretched thin with worry, all sense of schedule getting taken out back and shot.

He's obviously not the only one, but Lisa's worried for him the most. She adores Sara and worried about her as well, yet once she recovered she turned her eyes to her brother. Lenny's handled more dragons than most seasoned handlers in the Twins; he's constantly doing rounds, checking on every single one of them, all while cradling a swaddled, sniffling Barry.

With her antibiotics, Lisa can remain in quarantine without fear. It agitates both Len and Sara. She, however, stays put; her flock needs a strong, healthy presence, and she'll give them one. Besides, this way she can catch Lenny's incessant pacing.

Barry's wrapped in a fresh warm blanket. He's woken up in the middle of the night again, coughing and wheezing; not even his accelerated immune system could fight off the worst of the disease. His little snout pokes out from his bundle, dripping and crusted with mucus that Len does his best to wipe away with a steady flow of strong tissues. Occasionally, his talons will reach out and grasp his handler's shirt.

"I'm sorry I woke you up again," he croaks.

But of course Len just murmurs, "Be quiet, Barry," and wipes at his nostrils again.

Lisa follows them with her eyes, keeping very still. Lenny knows she's awake; still, it's best not to disturb him until Barry's sunk back into another feverish stupor. All around her, monstrous sneezes and coughs rock the clearing, scents of illness and misery clogging the air. Draconic influenza is not deadly by any means, but damn if it doesn't make you suffer.

Lisa hears Mick groan. He hasn't been able to produce a single spit of flame since he took ill. Caitlin's been kind enough to light matches for him. She, like every other handler and rider, has rolled out a sleeping bag next to her dragon. When she hears his distress, she's up in an instant.

"What is it, sweetheart?" she whispers. She only resorts to pet names for Mick when she's trying not to show how concerned she is.

Mick lets out another, weaker groan. A hacking cough overwhelms all the others. It immediately attracts Len's attention, halting his pacing mid-step.

He heads to Caitlin, saying, "Try climbing onto his snout. Right between the eyes."

Knowing he's had more experience than her, Caitlin readily hoists herself onto one of Mick's tusks, carefully avoiding his wet nostrils. Mick's tired eyes blink slowly, following her progress until he can't. As soon as she's settled, he sighs a breath of hot air.

"You're like an ice pack to him," Len explains, "just make sure you take a walk every twenty minutes."

Caitlin, who's already sweating, strokes Mick's scales with a nod. "Thank you."

And then Lenny's right back to pacing in front of his sister.

To her left, Harrison mutters in his sleep. Cisco, laid back on his foreleg and watching Netflix on his phone, immediately pauses whatever he's watching to reach over and stroke his gigantic head.

"It's alright, bro," he murmurs, despite his evident worry, "just breathe through your mouth."

Harrison peels an eye half-open to grumble, "I know what to do, Cisco."

Cisco huffs, though he's smiling. His dragon hasn't tried bantering in two weeks. "Well ex _cuse me_ , princess."

"Your references are obscure and irritating."

" _You're_ irritating."

"Oh, very good comeback, Ramon. Well done."

At least the one egg Harrison's sired is safe in the shelter; they're due to hatch soon, which gives him an extra incentive to recover faster. Idly Lisa wonders what a hatchling from Harrison Wells will be like.

Barry whimpers. Len slows, adjusting his blanket to expose him to the cool night air. Not too much, but enough that Barry breathes a wet sigh of relief.

Behind Lisa, Jay murmurs to Eobard, "See? Barry's sick too."

Eobard snaps, "I'm better than Barry Allen."

"Mhm."

The dragon attempts to hiss at him. What comes out instead is a terrible sneeze. Serves the bastard right.

"Len?" Barry rasps.

"Yes, Barry?"

"'m hungry."

Len's aged ten years since Barry got sick. In an instant, those years are gone. "I'll get you something."

"Thanks."

Len nearly goes to the barn at a jog, the worry of jostling Barry the only thing keeping him from doing so. The cattle herders readily hand over a few pieces of meat, which they always have ready since the epidemic started. Lenny returns to Lisa, painstakingly feeding Barry tiny shreds on the way.

He stands by his sister's head, feeding his dragon until Barry turns his head with a mumble. Once that happens, he offers the small leftovers to Lisa, who rolls her eyes before opening her mouth. Next, he reaches into his parka and takes out a hot water bottle, unscrewing the cap with his thumb and forefinger.

"Barry," he murmurs.

Barry, already half-dozing, mumbles some more.

"You have to drink before you go back to sleep."

Tiny jaws open just wide enough for the bottle to squeeze through. Barry takes slow gulps, Len being careful not to pour it all at once. Once Len's satisfied, he replaces the cap and watches as his dragon drifts into a light slumber.

Lisa softly calls his name. His bloodshot eyes turn to her, bruised and swollen with countless sleepless nights.

Before he gets the chance to say it, she says, "I'd be awake anyway, Lenny, worrying about you. It's better to have you here where I can see you."

When they were in the shell together, and during their infancy, Lisa had been the protector and caregiver. Sometimes she looks at Lenny and sees the tiny pudgy thing in their egg, eyes closed and lips puckered. She did almost eat him, thinking him a slab of fat juicy meat...until he blinked his eyes open for the first time.

Lisa instantly closed her jowls and curled around him. His tiny fingers flexed around her wings and forelegs, both of which she folded to shield him from the world, despite their egg's firm shelter. He let out a tiny sound; she trilled in reply.

He may have broken out of their egg first, but Lisa helped him grow. She still doesn't know when their roles reversed; it was like the bigger she got, the more Lenny insisted on raising her, becoming the older sibling that he was despite remaining small to her.

Now he's here, still small but much thinner. He's lost weight, but all Lisa can see is her tiny brother in their shell.

"You need rest, Lenny," she tells him quietly. When Len's eyes flick to Barry and around the clearing, "They'll be fine.  _He'll_ be fine. Let me take care of you for once, you stubborn jerk."

A ghost of Len's smirk softens his sunken cheeks. "No need to be a bitch about it."

Lisa shifts her head to rest on one foreleg. Len enters into the cradle between her talons. Surrounded by a fellow dragon's scent, Barry relaxes.

"See?" Lisa teases. Len huffs.

He curls into the soft spot in the crook of her foreleg, looking just like that unborn baby. Lisa gently nuzzles his back, eliciting a faint hum.

Barry nestles closer to his handler. Lisa does like that little dragon; he's good for Lenny, makes him smile.

Lisa beings a quiet trill, the only lullaby she knows that works on him. Gradually, Lenny's blinking slows. He's nodding off in minutes.

His sister grins. "Go to sleep, you little baby."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
